The Abisko-Stordalen Palsa Bog station is part of the Integrated Carbon Observation System, ICOS, which provides standardised and open data from close to 180 measurement stations across 16 European countries. The stations observe greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere as well as carbon fluxes between the atmosphere, the land surface and the oceans. Photographer Pekka Pelkonen, copyright ICOS ERIC.

The Abisko-Stordalen ICOS station, part of the research infrastructure at Abisko Scientific Research Station, has received the Best ICOS Ecosystem Station Award 2026. The award recognises the quality of the station’s data and metadata, as well as its responsiveness.

The station is located in Stordalen, about ten kilometres east of Abisko. Stordalen is a long-term research and environmental monitoring site used by the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) and SITES research infrastructures. Abisko-Stordalen is one of ICOS Sweden’s six ecosystem stations. Measurements include greenhouse gas and energy exchanges between the ecosystem and the atmosphere, as well as a range of meteorological variables.

The Best ICOS Ecosystem Station Award 2026 was presented to Abisko-Stordalen in recognition of the quality of its data and metadata, and the station’s responsiveness.

– The award is a welcome recognition of the long-term work carried out in Stordalen to collect and manage measurements and data. Collecting high-quality data and making it available over time is an important part of ICOS,” says Erik Lundin, research engineer at Abisko Scientific Research Station and scientific lead for the Abisko-Stordalen ICOS station.

Erik Lundin and Niklas Rakos at the ICOS station in Abisko-Stordalen. Photo: Pekka Pelkonen, copyright ICOS ERIC.

Long-term measurements at Abisko Scientific Research Station

Environmental measurements have been carried out at Abisko Scientific Research Station since 1913. Today, the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat conducts continuous environmental monitoring in collaboration with, among others, ICOS and SITES. These long-term data series provide an important foundation for research.

Stordalen has a long history of ecosystem research and is a shared measurement site for ICOS Sweden and SITES. These research infrastructures make area data available for research.

SITES and ICOS Sweden are engaged in a strategic collaboration to improve coordination. One of its aims is to make it easier for users to find data from sites where several research infrastructures operate, such as Stordalen.

Facts

ICOS, the Integrated Carbon Observation System, is a European research infrastructure that provides standardised, open data from more than 180 measurement stations across 16 European countries.

The stations measure greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and exchanges between the atmosphere, land surface and oceans. ICOS covers three domains: atmosphere, ecosystems and oceans.

Abisko-Stordalen is one of ICOS Sweden’s ecosystem stations. ICOS Sweden data are openly available for research.